I agree with the author of this article. I think that we as Christians really need to also start inspecting our “Christian” programming as well. If they are going to continually be putting people on the air that are committing these kinds of travisties in the church, then we as a Christian people need to tell them that we’ve had enough of their shananagans. It’s programs like TBN that have, unfortunately given the term Christian a bad name. People see these hypocrites on their programs and then automatically view all Christians in the same or similar light. I say that we need to boycott TBN and other stations that put frauds on TV like Benny Hinn and pastor McClendon. I have grown to see TBN as one of the leaders in apostasy.

Weird is not accurate.  Apostate is far better.  I used to subscribe to Charisma and its ministry magazine but quit after reading profile after profile of pastors of “mega-churches” who had obviously been divorced at least once.  They were lauded for their leadership but no mention of why they were still in ministry (I can excuse a pastor who divorced an adulterous wife, but an adulterous pastor who is still ministering - not good for the flock). 

I have some solid friends who are ministers in charismatic/pentecostal churches.  Even they are concerned about what passes as “new revelation” as they suspect it is smoke screen for personal sin and immorality.

I’m a Baptist and we have our own problems and challenges.  My prayers are with you.

Terry said “If we taught our people how to study the Bible with just some very basic hermenuetics, they could see these things coming.”

YES! Terry, that is SO true. I have spent a LOT of time among Pentecostals and Charismatics (there IS a difference...) and I haven’t seen quite the abuses that this article spoke of, so there are some “goodies” out there.

But if we read the Bible and teach others to with an eye towards letting God’s Word interpret God’s Word instead of looking for the “next new thing” in “new revelation” we will be so much better off.

Training our congregations to do this is not so hard! Let’s DO IT!

Blessings!
Peter

Pointing out the most extreme examples of spirit-filled churches and putting labels on it bears no fruit. Since the beginning of the church there has been abuses. Read the book of Corinthians.  These cases represent the utmost extreme cases of spirit-filled churches.  The thousands of spirit-filled leaders and churches with strong moral leaders and balanced healthy congregations should not be put in the same boat.  Of course there should be accountability.  People vote with their feet. Love hopes all things.  What about Jack Hayford, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, TD Jakes, etc.  Religious people attack our camp enough without our help.

Worldwide there are more “spirit-filled” believers than all other Protestants combined.

Chris
Atlanta

I don’t think it’s really too much of a new thing.  It’s probably a consequence of (extreme) Pentecostal mentality.  You can probably find these abuses from the very start of the Pentecostal movement.

Did you hear the (old) one about the “gold teeth miracle?”:
http://www.letusreason.org/Pent5.htm

They always come up with something wierd and interesting…

...Bernie

Come on people!  Half of my life has been in Pentecostal church and the other half has been Southern Baptist.  Before I became a stay at home mom, I worked for the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.  I know there are some crazy Pentescostals out there.  I have attended churches where I am asked if I have the “Holy Ghost”?  I have seen people “Fall out”, be “Slain in The Spirit” ot whatever else they call these experiences.  I have heard the Pastors say radical things.  I have even been there when a guest Prophet is in town and the church allows this dude to “Speak Over” people!  It is insane at times! We actually left that denomination for many reasons. BUT, I have been in Southern Baptist Churches where other extremes take place.  I no longer attend a Penecostal church but it is a part of my spiritual DNA and I truly belive that many Baptists out there love to dog on Pentecostals.  So, yes I think that this article posted is factual and I agree with you.  But, there is just as much crazy in other denominations if not more.  Is it our job to expose?  Maybe.  But be careful because my family just left a church plant a while ago that the Pastor said horrible things about Joel Osteen to members of the church.  This church also was freaked out when they found out that a woman used verbage such as , “Satan we come against you...” while she was praying for a woman that had sever emotional issues. Oh and laying hands on someone while you pray for them?  NOT ALLOWED!  I found that out when I placed my hand on a lady’s back while I prayed for her.  I didn’t have annointing oil, I didn’t start speaking in toungues but I was told not to lay hands!  The associate pastor even told members of the church that phrophecy was dead and people did not have the gift of phrophecy.  Oh and the Pastor found out about a couple who left the church and visited a new one down the road and decided to call that couple of and bash the Pastor.  So, you know there are EXTREMES every where!

Amen, Pete! 

The post is catching me at a “weeping for our sad state of being” moment. I’m grieved by so much of this. 

It’s sad but not surprising when Tom Cruise, Mark McGuire, Donald Trump (or the celebrity of choice) do some stupid, sinful thing.  Yet it is even more tragic when a Christian leader in the lime light has their sin publically displayed.  In the harsh court of public opinion, it reflects badly on, not just that individual, but Christians in general and more importantly, Christ specfically.

I doubt many of us would hold up under the the intense glare of the media spotlight revealing on our sin.

Still, those in leadership need to be acountable, take time to recover, repent and be restored before ministering again in a cautious and responsible (high accountablity) manner.  I would think this applies to all levels of leadership and “levels” of sin.

Since it sometimes seems to be “open season” on Christians, it is disgraceful that we provide them with so much ammo.

The issue here is not isolated to a denomination, but to a complete failure to recognize the Word of God as the final and valid authority for Christian living and conduct. As earlier stated, too many have molded and shaped scripture to create a palatable doctrine instead of seeking to live within the will of God as outlined in them. There could be no other result but failure, moral or otherwise.

We have spent the last decade or so teaching about integrity and it has become a veiled disguise for “don’t do anything to make you/I/us look bad.” Whatever happened to holiness? (Heb. 12:14) Integrity has no power to destroy the works of the flesh or to sustain a commitment to righteousness, but holiness relies upon the Spirit of God for all things.

This is not a denoninational problem although we see certain trends and patterns within each denomination. This is a people problem because every organization at its core is people. The organization/church can only be as strong as its people. If they give place to sin, sin has a place amongst them.

Also, someone said it before: We are called to judge and to make a distinction of what is wrong and right. That is what the Word of God says (1 Pet. 4:17-19). If there is no difference then what is the purpose of salvation? What does the sinner need it for? Why Christ?

We have much to pray for.